Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Laz
Albert starts at LT
Fisher starts at RT
If Albert gets hurt again then Fisher slides over to LT and Stephenson fills in at RT.
Albert loses his leverage and his big contract ... probably ends up at guard with another team next year.
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Who says Fisher is going to beat out Stephenson? Who says Albert is going to beat out Stephenson?
I'm telling you right here that Stephenson was going to be in the conversation as the first tackle off the board in the 2013 Draft if he stayed in school. He was markedly better than Lane Johnson on the same team and he's already got better feet than Albert.
His combine numbers, especially his burst numbers, were absolutely sick.
6'6"
35" Arms
312 lbs.
40: 4.94 seconds
Vertical: 35.5"
Broad Jump: 114"
3 Cone: 7.52 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.78 seconds
compared to Eric Fisher:
6'7"
34 1/2" Arms
308 lbs.
40: 5.05 seconds
Vertical: 28.5"
Broad Jump: 116"
3 Cone: 7.59 seconds
20 yard shuttle: 4.44 seconds
Stephenson is an athletic freak for a man his size, even moreso than Fisher, and he's got very, very good footwork.
Considering that Stephenson was thrown into a game situation with zero reps with the first team, I think he performed quite well last season. He showed good movement and a very good first punch. He's got a very good kick step as well. (Something Branden Albert has never had.)
I know that the immediate knee-jerk reaction around here is that if a guy wasn't drafted in the first round it means he isn't going to amount to shit, but Stephenson would have definitely been a first rounder this draft if he stayed in school and could have gone before Fisher or Joeckel.
I've already said it, but Stephenson is going to blow up this year.